This invention relates to an auger and retaining shell assembly, and more particularly to an auger and retaining assembly that utilizes a retaining shell to hold the dirt around the auger blade and a lateral extension on the auger blade to enlarge the hole to accommodate the retaining shell when it is lowered into surrounding relationship to the auger blade.
For many years, augers have been used to dig holes in the ground. Whether the hole is used to be a well to obtain subterranean water or simply a mounting location in which a post or pole is received, the auger must perform the function of removing the dirt from the ground so that a useable hole remains.
Most augers have helical or screw-like blades that spiral rotationally into the ground and cut into the dirt. The helical surface of the blades feeds the dirt upward toward the surface. The dirt being removed from the ground to form the hole naturally piles up adjacent the hole. Unless this loose dirt is moved, there will be a tendency for the dirt in the pile to fall back into the hole when the auger blade is removed.
Also when the auger blade is removed from the hole, any dirt physically on the blade may fall back into the hole. Any dirt that falls back into the hole after it had been previously removed from the hole simply decreases the efficiency of the auger, normally requires manual removal and significantly extends the time necessary to dig the hole.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved auger assembly that efficiently removes dirt from the hole being dug and generally eliminates any significant fall back of dirt into the freshly dug hole.
It is a feature of the present invention to utilize an auger assembly that has a lateral blade extension to enlarge the hole to accommodate a retaining shell that is positioned around the auger blade to retain the dirt on the auger blade during the withdrawal of the auger blade from the hole.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the efficiency of an auger assembly will be improved and the hole dug in the ground will be generally clean and free from loose dirt to eliminate the necessity of manually finishing the excavation of the hole before it can be used for its intended purpose.